Summary About the Position: This position is located at U.S. Army Legal Support Activity, Europe, Office of The Staff Judge Advocate, OSJA-Kaiserslautern, Stuttgart Law Center, Kaiserslautern, GM. Duty location Stuttgart, Germany If you are currently serving in a permanent, competitive service appointment in the Federal service, and are selected for this position, the appointment will remove you from the competitive service while you occupy this position. Responsibilities Represents USEUCOM, USAFRICOM, and the Department of the Army as trial attorney for civilian personnel, labor relations, and equal employment opportunity litigation; cases that could establish command and department-wide precedent. Represents the commands and the US Army in litigation in Federal courts and in front of administrative law judges, advises the command on whether to proceed in court or administrative tribunal or to settle the matter without litigation. Incumbent establishes case strategy and tactics for litigation; prepares prehearing motions and petitions; identifies relevant witnesses and documents via discovery procedures, including interrogatories and depositions. Conducts research in connection with pending cases and analyzes factual and legal issues. Conducts pre-hearing examination of witnesses. Prepares legal memoranda in connection with hearings. Develops positions on litigation issues that arise in conjunction with Federal court and administrative tribunal proceedings Provides oral and written advice and technical legal guidance to key USEUCOM, USAFRICOM and USAG Stuttgart leaders concerning all aspects of the law of federal employment and federal labor-management relations. Develops guidance and advice on the interpretation and application of employment law decisions affecting the Department of the Army, USEUCOM, USAFRICOM and USAG Stuttgart to ensure that all policies and actions are consistent with legal requirements. Provides advice and prepares opinions on legal issues or factual questions, most of which lack clearly applicable precedents or contain complex factual scenarios. Performs trial attorney duties and advisor duties without preliminary instruction. Incumbent independently conducts investigations and negotiations, plans the approach, and develops completed briefs, opinions, and other products. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Who May Apply: US Citizens Applicants will be evaluated to determine if they meet the minimum qualification requirements and on the extent to which their application shows possession of the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) associated with the position. KSA's: Skill in identifying and researching highly technical and complex legal issues. Skill in providing legal, technical, and policy guidance. Ability to effectively, professionally, and ethically manage a heavy caseload of clients with complex legal needs. Qualification Requirements: The following minimum qualification requirements must be met before applicants are eligible for further consideration: Education Requirements: Position requires the possession of the first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) AND in good standing with the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia. Applicants for initial appointment into attorney positions within the Department of Army must be graduates of law schools accredited by the American Bar Association at the time of the applicant's graduation. As indicated below, a law school transcript must be submitted with your application materials. Bar Membership: Applicants must currently be a member in good standing (as defined by the pertinent bar) of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. As noted below, proof of such membership and good standing must be submitted with your application materials. Experience: In addition to the requirements above, applicants for the GS-14 or equivalent Attorney positions must also possess 3 years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar, commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. Graduation from an ABA-Accredited Law School in the top 25% of the class or an advanced law degree such as an LLM may substitute for one year of the required professional legal experience. Time in Grade: The Qualifying Authorities (QA's) will make a determination as to the applicability of time in grade based on the requirements of the position. If you are currently employed as an attorney by the Federal government you must have completed one year at the next lower grade level within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement, or previously served at the same or higher grade level as the position being filled. NOTICE OF VETERAN'S PREFERENCE: There is no formal rating system for applying veteran's preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of the Defense considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., DD Form 214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty") to their submissions. Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim a 10-point preference must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference", and supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed. The SF 15 will identify the supporting documentation required along with the list of the types of 10-point preference. The SF 15 is available from the OPM at https://www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/type/sf/. Education Only degrees from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education are acceptable to meet positive education requirements or to substitute education for experience. For additional information, please go to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and U.S. Department of Education websites at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications and http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. Additional Information PLEASE NOTE THAT REQUIREMENTS FOR EDUCATION, TIME IN GRADE, AND EXPERIENCE MAY BE WAIVED BY THE APPLICABLE AUTHORITY AND THE REQUIREMENTS SHOULD NOT DETER ANY INDIVIDUAL FROM APPLYING FOR THE POSITION. Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration. You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship. Direct Deposit of Pay is required. If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet. This is a Career Program (CP) 56 - Legal position. When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction/ for more information. If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. Information may be requested regarding the vaccination status of selectees for the purposes of implementing workplace safety protocols. For more information, visit https://www.saferfederalworkforce.gov/faq/vaccinations/. Locality pay does not apply in the overseas area. On this overseas accompanied tour, medical and DoDDS special education services may not be available in the immediate location of this position. In the overseas areas, access for civilian employees and their families to military medical and dental treatment facilities is on a space-available and reimbursable basis only. Medical care may be provided by host nation providers. The availability and level of care at host nation medical facilities will vary by location. Movement overseas may require you to initiate a change in your health benefits plan to ensure coverage. For positions in a foreign country, that country's laws or international agreements may have a direct impact on the ability of an employee's same sex domestic partner or spouse to accompany the employee and receive certain benefits. If you believe you may be affected by these laws and agreements, you should familiarize yourself with relevant information before applying for or accepting this position. Pay retention may be offered to successful applicants for positions at overseas locations. Selectees may receive certain foreign area benefits such as: Living Quarters Allowance (LQA) or government quarters, home leave, etc. Selectees will have their eligibility for foreign area benefits determined at the time of hire in accordance with Department of State Standardized Regulation (DSSR) and DoDI 1400.25 volume 1250. http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/1400.25-V1250.pdf Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations.